Breaking down the century-long connection between basketball and music.
SPIN Magazine Mentions Harlem Rens, Basketball-Music Connection
Did you know that early basketballs had laces? They had to be unlaced, pumped up, tested, and re-laced repeatedly until the air pressure of the rubber bladder inside was just right. These balls evolved to include external air pump holes, but the laces remained until the 1930s, when laceless designs were first introduced. The version… Read more »
Ever wonder where the basketball term “flush” came from? What if it came from these early bottomless basketball baskets? Antique urinal. After each made field goal, a referee had to stop play in order to pull the draw string that tipped the basket just enough for the ball to fall out. The ball would go… Read more »
Some readers wondered what “throwing for goal” was all about, so I’ll continue with the ongoing shout out to 1904’s “How To Play Basket Ball” that I’ve been doing lately. This advice is particularly interesting in light of the United States Olympic Basketball Team’s crushing 64% field goal percentage in an exhibition victory over Lithuania… Read more »
Here’s the a portion of the front cover of the 1904 publication “How To Play Basket Ball,” distributed by Spalding Sporting Goods.
A close look at the last line of copy in this 1904 advertisement for gum bottom “basket ball” shoes may explain why Spalding lost its grip on the athletic footwear business a century ago.
This is how the basket ball field looked in 1904, the year that African Americans were first introduced to the game on a wide scale basis by Edwin B. Henderson. Would you prefer the left side or the right side of the field?
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Black Fives Foundation
We inspire excellence by preserving, teaching, and honoring the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball.
Congratulations to our Education and Leadership Ambassador @kamoreaarnold for her first @ncaa Tourney appearance with @uconnwbb who she idolized as a youngster with posters on her wall. Manifestation, one moment at a time! Truly breathtaking! Best wishes KK! Make History Now! 💪🏽😤🔥
Sneak Peek! If you’re in Indianapolis for the NBA All-Star Weekend, please stop by the @ebbetsvintage pop-up shop at 50 South Meridian for the launch of our new Black Fives x Ebbets Field Flannels collection featuring the New York Rens. Open 10 AM to 10 PM. #RENS100 #makehistorynow #bhm
Limited Edition “Make History Now” Black Fives x Big East BHM Cotton Long Sleeve ![]()
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Though you aren’t a BIG EAST basketball player, you can still have this cotton long-sleeve tee version of their performance warm-up shirt.![]()
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The shirt graphic is the same. It’s the Black Fives x BIG EAST commemorative partnership logo with the Make History Now slogan on a cotton long-sleeve tee shirt to celebrate BHM2024 and honor early African-American basketball teams paired up with BIG EAST member schools.![]()
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